Muscle Movements and Planes: Flexion, Extension, and More

Gliding

one flat bone surface glides or slips over another (intercarpal and intertarsal)

flexion

Movement that decreases the angle of the joint and brings two articulating bones closer together.

Sagittal plane

plane flexion usually occurs

Bending your knee.

example of flexion

extension

Movement in the sagittal plane that increases the angle of the joint.

straightens flexed limb or body part.

What extension typically does to a flexed limb or body part

Straightening out your arm at the elbow joint.

example of extension at a joint.

abduction

Movement of a limb away from the midline of the body along the frontal plane.

Spreading your fingers apart

example of abduction.

Adduction.

Movement of a limb toward the midline of the body

frontal plane.

Which plane does abduction occur in?

Bringing your fingers back together.

example of abduction

Circumduction

The distal end of the limb moves in a circle while the proximal end is more or less stationary

Big shoulder circles.

example of circumduction

Rotation

Turning of a bone on its long axis.

shoulder and hip joints.

Rotation commonly occurs in?

Medial Rotation

Rotating the femur's anterior surface toward the midline of the body.

Lateral Rotation

Rotating the femur's anterior surface away from the midline of the body.

Dorsiflexion

Bringing the superior aspect of the foot closer to the tibia.

Plantarflexion

Pointing the toes.

Inversion

The sole of the foot turns medially.

Eversion

The sole of the foot turns laterally.

Pronation

Rotating the forearm medially so that the palm faces posteriorly.

Supination

Rotating the forearm laterally so that the palm faces anteriorly.

Elevation

The lifting of a body part superiorly.

Shrugging your shoulders is scapular elevation.

example of elevation

Depression

The lowering of an elevated body part.

Chewing (in the scapula)

Example of (elevation and) depression

Opposition

Specialty movement performed when thumb touches tip of other fingers on the same hand.

Protraction

Anterior movement in the transverse plane.

Retraction

Posterior movement in the transverse plane.